Mazda Sets Sales Record in Scotland

DARTFORD, UNITED KINGDOM – October 5, 2009: Mazda's sales in Scotland soared to new heights in September with a record-breaking 1,556 units.

This beat the previous best September two years ago and was also a record for a single month, set in March 2007 when Mazda's Scottish dealer network sold almost 1,520 units.

Even more impressive is that fact that September's record was set without relying too heavily on the Government's scrappage scheme; just 16 per cent of Mazda cars bought in September were sold with the help of the trade-in scheme. This is well below the 25 per cent average for Mazda's UK network.

Sales to retail customers, a true measure of how well a brand is doing, were up 50 per cent and while Mazda2 was the best-seller with sales of more than 600, the newly-launched Mazda3 helped maintain Mazda's momentum recording 400 sales while Mazda6 sales reached the 300 mark.

Machargs, part of the Arnold Clark group which has dealers across Scotland, proved yet again to be Mazda's strongest retail dealer in the UK, selling more than 220 cars in September. The group was also Mazda's top selling retail group with sales of 550.

This exceptional performance ensures that Mazda's share of Scotland's retail market continues to be significantly above its national position at around a healthy 5 per cent.

For one Mazda dealer it was a hectic welcome to the brand. Ayr-based Glen Henderson sold more than 60 Mazdas in its first month of trading. "It's been fantastic, way above my expectations," said operations director Callum Watson.

Even more impressive was the fact that the sales came across the range, including MX-5, and not just from Mazda2 and Mazda3.

Glen Henderson's is a long-established Mercedes-Benz franchise in Scotland and has also sold Porsche and Maserati north of the border.

"Glen saw an opportunity with Mazda and we operate out of a former purpose-built Mercedes showroom.

"Mazda is a fantastic company to do business with and we've had a staggering first month. To get to 60 sales from a standing start was beyond our expectations," said Watson.

This strong performance in Scotland helped Mazda set a new UK sales record for the brand of more than 11,350 - the best single month since the marque arrived in the UK in the 1960s.

"Throughout this economic downturn we have sought to ensure our dealers remain profitable, motivated and they have the tools to do the job effectively. We have also continued to build our brand awareness and give the dealers the product mix they require to hit their sales objectives," said Jeremy Thomson, Mazda UK managing director. "These actions are now beginning to pay off as we see increasing traffic in the showrooms, greater awareness of the Mazda brand and more customers abandoning other manufacturers to buy Mazda vehicles."